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Education Mission

The Education Department at the New-York Historical Society offers a wealth of resources and learning opportunities designed to make history come alive!

Education programs are made possible through endowments established by the National Endowment for the Humanities and The Hearst Foundations. Public funds are provided by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council, the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

The New-York Historical Society recognizes the leadership support of the Carnegie Corporation of New York for its K - 12 Educational Enrichment Programs in 2015-2016.

The New-York Historical Society is grateful to the generous supporters of its educational initiatives, including the Hertog Foundation, the Emilie Davie and Joseph S. Kornfeld Foundation, the Barker Welfare Foundation, The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, the Keith Haring Foundation, Ray Lent and Placer Partners, the Bay and Paul Foundations, the Alice Lawrence Foundation, the C. Jay Moorhead Foundation, The Angela and Scott Jaggar Foundation, and the Henry Nias Foundation.

Support the New-York Historical Society

Help us present groundbreaking exhibitions and develop educational programs about our nation's history for more than 200,000 schoolchildren annually.

Education

American Musicals Project 2015-2016

“My daughter enjoyed exploring musicals that she hadn't seen on Broadway, and linking the issues presented with what she was reading.”

The American Musicals Project teaches American history using the power and emotional energy of American musical theater masterworks in conjunction with extraordinary primary resources from our exhibitions and collections to teach the historical time periods in which these classic musicals take place.

American Musicals Project Series
Ages 11 – 13
Fridays from 1:30 – 3 pm
$125 per series, $575 if you book all five.*

Encounter John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin in the summer of 1776 when they sign the Declaration of Independence and lead their fellow delegates at the Constitutional Convention in committing treason against the Crown. A real life drama played out on the stage of the hot summer of 1776.

The Antebellum South harbored slavery and aroused defiance against its injustice. Follow Huck Finn as he helps Jim, a slave, escape to the North at the mouth of the Ohio River and learn about the realities of slavery for thousands of African Americans.

Series 3: Oklahoma– Westward Expansion
1/8, 1/15, 1/29, 2/5, 2/12

Oklahoma Territory became a state in 1907 making farmers and cowboys friends after a long process of dislocating Native Americans from their land. Travel with the Boomers, Sooners, and Exodusters out west and grapple with the injustice and opportunities of westward expansion.

Series 4: Annie– The Great Depression
2/26, 3/4, 3/11, 3/18, 4/8

Every American suffered in the Great Depression, especially children. Read their stories, find out how Americans responded to the economic decline, and learn how leaders like Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt fought to bring relief to the country.

Series 5: This is the Army, South Pacific, On the Town– World War II
5/6, 5/13, 5/20, 5/27, 6/3

Americans fought World War II at home and abroad, in the western and Pacific theaters. To win the war, everyone had to mobilize to serve the Allies’ cause. As a result, lives changed: women went to work and African-Americans fought alongside their white countrymen as equals. How would you have contributed to the war effort? Come find out.

*Note: To guarantee your child’s spot in a class, tuition must be paid in full prior to the first session. To receive the discount for booking all five series, complete payment must be submitted before Series 1. Space is limited, so book now!